The programme comprises the following five compulsory modules and four optional compulsory modules:
Module 1: Theories and Approaches of Peace and Conflict Studies
The module is composed of two separate parts: a lecture (4 CP) and an associated tutorial (6 CP). The lecture provides an overview of important theories and approaches pertaining to national and international Peace and Conflict Studies, illustrated by current research areas.
Module 2: Concepts of Securing Peace
This module deals with scientific concepts of securing peace, the advancement of human rights, and democracy and includes reflections on the use of military coercive measures.
Module 3: Conflict Analysis and Theories of Conflict Management
The module is composed of two separate parts: a seminar on Conflict Analysis (6 CP) and a seminar or a lecture on Conflict Management (4 CP). In the seminar (or in the lecture) on theories/approaches of conflict management, the students gain a broad overview of central terms, approaches, and assumptions within the theoretical field of conflict management (i.e. conflict resolution, conflict management, conflict transformation).
Module 4: Applied Conflict Management
This module is usually composed of a block seminar and includes practical elements. Students receive an insight into the methods of conducting negotiation, mediation and moderation techniques, as well as related communication strategies or political planning and consultation processes.
Module 5: Methods in Peace and Conflict Studies
The module is composed of a seminar and a compulsory tutorial which both must be completed. Students can choose between a seminar that gives an overview of different qualitative research methods and a seminar that focuses on the teaching of one method in depth.
Module 6: Regional and Global Order
The module assumes the increasing relevance of governance beyond nation states. Thus, it dedicates itself to the political, economic, and normative creation of order on a global and regional level.
Module 7: Sustainable Development and Resource Management
The aim of this module is to convey knowledge on the anthropogenically caused environmental ramifications of global change, scenarios regarding the limits of growth and global warming in connection with resource scarcity, and the resulting distributional conflicts that not only aggravate the long-existing global North-South constellation but also generate new types of conflict situations (i.e., North-North, South-South).
Module 8: Violence and Media
This module allows for a critical analysis of different forms of legitimation and the mobilisation of direct (physical and primarily military) violence and the cultural, epistemological, or structural violence that is inherent to some discourses.
Module 9: Global Justice
In this module, students will deal with the normative aspects of long term peacekeeping and conflict management on a global and a national level, especially with questions of substantive and procedural justice.
An internship in a pertinent institution is part of the course. Programme advisers will assist students with finding an appropriate internship.